Its glass door between a Thai eatery and a hookah lounge often goes unnoticed, which is a shame, considering what’s inside. Pagan Wine Bar occupies the building that once was Big Sleep Books, a bookstore founded by Chris King in 1988.
In the past three years, King’s son, Ed, has transformed the small space into a dark, mysterious wine bar filled with French art, statues, antique light fixtures that give off a warm blue light and leather chairs, creating the sort of bar where he would want to spend his own time. The bar is similar to a neighborhood watering hole you might find on any given street corner Paris, making it one of the most unique places to get a drink in St. Louis.
Image courtesy of HCDeharder.
Shelves stacked with dusty books line the walls and small candles illuminate each table as the old-school sound system plays King’s choice of music for the night. King typically shakes up the drinks from a simple yet elegant menu, with a modest list of choice wines, classic cocktails and beer. Arrive in the evening and saddle up to the bar with the diverse mix of patrons or sink into the red leather couch by the window with a tasty glass of wine and watch all of the people pass by this little French haven in the Central West End.
St. Louis is rich with visual art talent. The proof is in for 2018, and nowhere is it more evident than in the work of Art Saint Louis. We could not be more proud of the 342 outstanding artworks selected from over 1,000 entries for presentation in our gallery. These highly competitive, juried group exhibits were admired by thousands of visitors this year, not only at lively opening receptions but daily as we opened our doors to a diverse audience of locals and travelers alike.
Anamorphic pavement art and augmented reality software were combined this year with three innovative, large-scale art installations showcased at the St. Louis Science Center and Venture Café in the Cortex district. Pavement Portals, the latest in our collaboration with the artists of Chalk Riot, was jointly presented by Art Saint Louis and PNC Arts Alive, and was well received by viewers of all ages.
It is no exaggeration to say that Art Saint Louis is elevating the work of local artists like never before. In addition to sharing our community’s creative work with thousands of viewers, Art Saint Louis directly disbursed over $30,000 to artists in the form of commissions, honorariums and awards, in the last 12 months alone.
Image courtesy of Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions.
Image courtesy of Larder & Cupboard.
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